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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802432">Out Of The Depths</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Broken Engagement, F/F, F/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Pregnant Hermione Granger, Twins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:42:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,863</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus learns what it means to be a father while trying to mend his broken relationship with Hermione Granger.<br/>(Hermione is born in 1960 and not a time-turner/time travel story.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione Granger sat facing Andromeda Tonks née Black sipping at her tea served in antique Black china. Despite the gloomy air repugnant with mentholated smell associated with suffering she couldn't stop the smirk curving the corners of her pink lips at the thought of Druella Black shrieking like a banshee seeing a Mudblood drinking from her delicate set of china. The miraculous brew settled her nerves with each sip and she felt the weeks of tension and frustration slowly ebbing away. She never thought she would confide in a Black woman. She saw Andromeda briefly passing her in the halls when she was a first year and the older girl a 7th. There was little love lost between the pair until Andromeda started seeing Theodore Tonks in secret after Yuletide. Years later Andromeda would confess the charismatic charming young man simply swept her off her feet that night when he came to her rescue. Aulus Rowle A Pureblood of Scared 28, Andromeda's intended and escort for the Ball cornered the inebriated girl in an abandoned dreary alcove and before things could escalate further Ted Tonks pushed him off the girl kicking and screaming, the intimidating build of her intended pressing her against the wall. Neither Cygnus nor Druella Black called off the betrothal for the their girl were promised to the Rowle's from birth and they brushed the unsavory event off only saying he was a young men with needs in an accusatory way when Andromeda broke down and told her mother of what happened. The traumatic event fundamentally changed Andromeda and her views on blood status, so much so she started seeing Theodore later to escape with and marry him. Theodore's Muggle uncles and cousins took the estranged peculiar girl whom Teddy said grew up in a farmhouse thus her strange behavior around cars and other industrial and or technological devices in like one of their own and soon she became a fixture in family gatherings. Johann Tonks was a sociable men with many friends closest of which being Joseph Granger. The two families were so close in fact little Hermione and his son Theodore grew up like siblings. The young men was fiercely protective of Hermione and was delighted beyond doubt when Hermione too got her Hogwarts letter 6 years after himself. He remembered the girl trailing behind him like a duckling the first month. He could see in her glossy doe eyes the burning desire to fit in. He recognized when all the shiny paint was washed off beneath the mask of the smart strong Muggleborn a mere homesick little girl. He didn't mock her in his usual brotherly manner when Hermione clutched at him pressing her small face onto his broad chest in hopes of silencing her sniffling, he remained stoic at first then hugged her back just as strongly. He hugged her like September 1st 1971 10 years later when she came to his door. He basked the 21 year old in love and with combined affections of him and Andy he saw her coming back to life. The two siblings not related with blood but with a bond just as unbreakable had only one another. Both their parents along with friends and coworkers of Granger's and Tonks's were victims of another gruesome Death Eater revel Mia's 3rd year. The orphans became closer than ever and when he held her those torturous first months after the funeral services Ted couldn't help the pang of guilt, his thoughts straying to lines of regret. If Johann Tonks didn't invite all those people to the annual grill if he didn't invite the Granger's maybe then this innocent girl would still have her parents. He missed them he missed the indulgent smiles and larger than life personality of his father however he was almost 20 now with a job and a flat he could survive on his own but she couldn't. How could she? She was just 13. He never wanted to see his sister so devastated. When she turned up at his door 4 months ago after the death of Lily Potter he felt the same searing pain at seeing her so heartbroken. He felt so small so helpless he couldn't even console his little Mia. He couldn't even calm his own daughter. It seemed he had a knack for watching people who mattered the most to him suffer with his hands tied. It was Andy or Mia( whom he should be taking care of )calming a distressed Dora down. Mia who sat for hours reading to the sleepy kid until her weak eyelids couldn't withstand the heavy gravity and Dora fell to fitful sleep cuddling to his sisters chest. He felt a bile rising in his throat, he never hated himself more than when he stood watching his sister place an unsure delicate kiss at the hairless head once sporting manes of vibrant pinks and blues of the fatigued toddler. His Dora lost so much weight he was scared she would break if he pulled her into his arms. It was foolish, he acknowledged it when Mia saw through his act and tried reasoning against all odds with him saying that it wasn't his fault that it could have happened to anyone with Magic or Muggle heritage. But his grandfather passed away at the age of 50 from cancer. He should have known he should have never put Andy through the pain of seeing their daughter wasting away each passing day. He felt squashed under the weight of guilt encompassing any rationale.</p><p>As selfish as it seemed he was glad for the presence of Hermione for Andromeda had at least some support system through these terrible times. He failed them all. His loving wife who never once blamed him all through this, his daughter who would ask hesitantly if her father didn't love her anymore, his pregnant sister running away from her Death Eater fiancé who albeit indirectly killed her best friend. It truly was a shame how he didn't try to help any of the strong females in his life bearing the grunt of endless tragedies fearlessly. He should be holding his Dora, reading those books he bought last week to put her to sleep, he should be contacting Narcissa to help Andromeda, he should ask instead staring at the budding roundness of his sisters stomach how the pregnancy is going, he should help Mia pick names for her twins, he was so detatched he realized he didn't even know the gender of the babies, he should confront Snape. He couldn't… The words froze in his mouth trying and failing to move around syllables, his brain sputtered incoherently, he couldn't tape the floating words together to form sentences and or things resembling of that when he saw Hermione giving him a knowing smile in the mornings. The quill dripping ink onto the parchment didn't simply move beyond <em>To Narcissa Black Malfoy, .</em>He observed behind the cool glass Snape thrash the home down at Hampstead after downing a large bottle of Fire whiskey night after another. Yet he couldn't go beyond that glass seperating them, two men who did nothing but let their families down. He found himself wondering if he was worse than Snape for he continued hurting and dissapointing his loved ones. Snape couldn't hurt the only women who ever cared for him or his unborn children since he was utterly alone. He came to a deserted personal prison each day seeing the space that once housed the beautiful memories he and Hermione created and the cold unflinching reminder of his nightly bounds of anger.</p><p>Severus Snape was as miserable as Ted Tonks deserved to be. He formed pathetic habits like spraying Hermione's perfume on her pillow and hugging it to his chest. He wetted the feather soft fine weaved pillow with salty tears shamefully when he realized he couldn't quite catch the essence of his love on her pillow. He fucked up and he deserved to be holed up living the rest of his pitiful days in soul crushing agony he deserved hearing laughing families passing by their house the cheerful sound of giggling kids reminding of all that was lost. Unbeknownst to him his pathetic routine of destroying their home, drinking and sobbing himself to sleep was being observed by one Theodore Tonks.</p><p>The self hatred and fear swallowing the two eerily similar men whole. It was a marvel how two men so principally different were similar in their sufferings. Was it a gift of the war, producing emotionally distant men unable to cope with their woes? Maybe it was true pain did indeed brought people together.</p><p>Ted Tonks arrived at his Muggle residence after his visit to Hampstead. The scene that welcomed him broght an involuntary smile to his lips. Andy was listening intently to what Hermione was saying, Hermione flashing her a brilliant blinding smile. While both women were busy discussing whatever it was they were discussing Nymphadora was stealing sips from Hermione's tea sitting on the saucer. It was a picture of domestic bliss, a balm to his shattered soul. He felt while gazing at 3 females interacting so naturally the knots of his tired being untangle themselves.</p><p>Hermione when she tilted her head to the left saw the little thief holding the empty cup in both hands innocently and laughed heartily. Andromeda too laughed at her goofy daughter. The 5 year old appeared confused at what her Mummy and Aunt Mia were laughing at. Ted realized he joined in on the laughing women chuckling happily alerting Dora to his presence. The girl seeing her father laughing for the first time in months ran to him wrapping herself around his torso like Devil's Snare. Ted picked Dora up without thinking and inhaled her sweet scent keeping her small body to his chest.</p><p>'I missed you Daddy.' His Dora whispered to him in the same tone she used when she promised she wouldn't tell Mummy Daddy bought her ice cream. It signaled a secretive matter discussed between father and daughter. Quiet enough to keep what was being said to them and only them.</p><p>'I missed you too, pet.' He replied his voice shaky with emotion. He settled next to Hermione on the settee never letting go of his kid. One hand rubbing soothing circles on Dora's back the other reached for Hermione's elegant hand resting on her stomach. She smiled at him the same smile she reserved for him since she was just a wee kid toddling her way awkwardly to him. Hermione treaded her fingers through his.</p><p>'You big prat.' She scolded him half hearedly. Andromeda appeared near tears at the easy interactions between her husband and his girls. It was like seeing Ted again, seeing the true him not the numb replica of her love.</p><p>'I'm sorry.' Ted apoligized for everything, he spoke of promises and regrets for the next hour. By the end of his overdue speech all the adults had bitter liberating tears of forgiveness and little Dora had long fell to a peaceful asleep taking solice in the steady rhythm of Teds heartbeat and the deep familiar vibrations of his voice.</p><p>000000000000</p><p>The next 4 months passed in a blur like a hazy dream one didn't want to wake up from. Ted held true to his promises. He could be found attending to his daughter playing with her one of the new games he had to come up with since even though Dora's health appeared to be bettering she still couldn't run around without ending up breatheless and frustrated. It seemed as if the innocent 5 year old could sense the pitying glances of other parents processing her inability to jump around like the once hyperactive child she was. Ted would hold a crying Andromeda every time she changed Dora in and out of her clothes. It devastated the helpless mother discovering new bruises and pinched holes from vulgar needles Muggles attached to her daughter. She recalled hour long tirades of the elder talked of the inhumane ways Muggles healed their people with metal machines, needles attached to their person knives and other horrifying objects cutting into the patients skin and stitching them back up leaving behind grotesque versions of their former selves. Hearing the detailed depictions of these Muggle experiments from her Grandfather left her feeling sick but now seeing the exact pointy headed needles tearing into the translucent skin of her own daughters arm seeing how the potions the glass held travelling through the plastic tube into Dora stole her shiny hair she was left feeling confused. She hated seeing the transformation Dora underwent the first months but with the aid of magic the drugs seemed to be finally working. Though she hated the grusome process she couldn't deny if not for the bizzare experiments of Muggles she would have lost her little girl and she reassured herself it was for the best and this too would pass.</p><p>Having Hermione around was like a blessing. She would be there taking Dora out to the park when the suffering seemed to suffocate the young parents when they felt inaduqauate to care for the girl. Hermione talked her through the painful thoughts swirling around in her head she told her repeatedly that there were people who recovered from this vicious malady and Dora was strong with Magic pulsing in her veins she would get better in no time. She repeated those words until Andy herself belived them and now months later Mia was turning out to be right.</p><p>Hermione was glowing with happiness no longer the depressed women who appeared at their door with sunken cheeks and haunted eyes. Her pregnant belly was swelling beatifully with her twins. The three decided to name the kids Leonard Theodore for the boy and Helene Rose for the girl. From the suprising strength of their rebellious kicks aimed at her internal organs Hermione knew her twins wouldn't be a docile pair. As her pregnancy progressed she found it harder to go outside. Both from the effort she put into walking briskly and as Dora would say 'weird' and to not throttle middle aged women muttering behind her an obviously single mother gasping in pearl glutching horror and disgusting hypocrisy. She found herself wishing not for the first time she kept her engagment ring. She missed the comforting weight of the Prince heirloom around her finger and she didn't mind it would keep scandalized ladies silenced. Apart from the holier than thou attitude of women and their critical comments followed by intentional silences that spoke more (she would now say her husband, a war veteran, died in Argentina to avoid that entire process) everything was moving along without any major problems. Dora was completely besotted with her cousins or the kicking bump as she saw it. Hermione and Dora could be found dozing in the afternoon, the child cuddling into her Aunt while they spoke softly to Leo and Rosie. Dora would follow the little feet kicking the smooth stomach of her Aunt Mia.</p><p>'We will play when they are born right Aunt Mia?' The little girl would ask Hermione. Hermione would hum and nod to the usual question asked every couple hours. Dora was if anything single-minded. The unfaltering but sensible question of 'But wont they be too tiny to play?' would follow that. Then Dora would speak of all the foods Hermione needed to feed the babies so they would grow big and Dora would finally have friends to play with.</p><p>'You should feed them lots of broccoli and milk, Ok?'</p><p>While she found the attention of her neice delightful and care shown by Ted and Andy flattering she couldn't help but have her thoughts stray to Severus and Lily. She was still mourning after her best friend. She wondered if her Leo and Rosie would become close friends with Harry like Lily and her. Would they be part of a trio like their parents? Would Rosie be as headstrong and fierce as the fiery redhead Lily was? Was… Lily was no longer. She missed how Lily always knew what was wrong with her how she would stand by her through thick and thin her unwavering Gryffindor loyalty and good natured humor that eased the burden befalling upon her soul. Lily and Ted who brought her from the depths of her grief in her 3rd year Lily who must be so cold lying beneath the wet earth as rain poured down. She remembered the summers spent in Evans' household Rosalyn and Samuel who treated her like an another daughter. How could she tell Rosalynn when she looked at her with those emerald green eyes of Lily it was her fiancé their best friend who caused the death of their precious daughter. How could she stand and allow Samuel to hold her the lover of Potters' murderer. How could she let the grieving man calm her while crying himself?</p><p>How could they allow her a monster into their home to see her Godson while her stomach swelled with the children of the man who killed both his parents. She couldn't forgive Severus but furthermore she couldn't forgive herself. She cursed his name but in the early hours of the day the first rays of light scarcely illuminating her room she imagined if Severus would like the names Leonard and Helene. Would he find naming his daughter after Helene too presumptious, would he rather give them biblical names? She didn't know. She didn't know how his calloused hands caressing her bump growing with their love would feel. Would he talk to them? No it would do her no good thinking about him, she couldn't have her twins be fathered by a man who orphaned her Godson. She couldn't allow her kids to grow up carrying the sin of their father's mark mapping his forearm. They were innocent and to keep them safe and innocent she could never enter any relationship with Severus Snape platonic or not. She would pray at night, the sweet call of sleep beckoning, her body worn her emotions distraught none of her kids inherit the deep eyes of their father. She didn't know how she could look into his eyes for years to come. She missed him. She hated herself for missing him. She would forget it was him that led to the death of Lily for short periods of time she would pretend none of it happened then an owl from Marlene and Dorcas would arrive and she would have to face the crushing tragedy of her life. The couple in their last letter told Hermione of permenantly taking residence in Salem death of Lily having seared any connections they had left with the Wizarding Britain. She thought of leaving herself when Dora was better and her twins grew to be more managable maybe then she would leave too. Everyone left. Remus was in Hungary, Dorcas and Marlene in America and it seemed she was the only one from their friends group to remain behind. No she couldn't possibly leave right now she needed all the help she could get and give to Tonks's. She needed to check up on Harry weekly to make sure she brewed and delivered all the potions required for infants, she owed it to Evans's to be around. Little Harry if not for the angry scar marking his forehead didn't seem any different as if he was yet to be be aware of passing of his parents. He appeared happy and healthy. He thrieved under the constant supply love and food of his Grandma Rose. He ran to Hermione his fat legs wobbling chanting Mia, Mia when she showed up at Spinners End every Sunday. The catholic grandparents of Harry left him with Hermione for 2 hours or until they arrived back from Sunday Service. Rosalyn gave her books and endless advice on how to bring up children greatfully shouldering the role of her mother, the hole that oozed with blood and never really incrusted when she was reminded of how she had no relatives left in this world. Rosalyn would tear up when Harry would touch her growing belly and say 'Wose.' He would smile looking up at her beneath thick lashes with intelliegnt green eyes as if asking Rose was still there in her Mummy's tummy.</p><p>It was a big risk she was taking showing up at Spinners End week after week. Rosalynn mentioned nonchalantly that Severus Snape moved back to the dreary house he inheritaed from those horrible parents of his. She assumed at first Severus and Hermione would make up at least for the sake of their children whom she had to swear not to speak of to him. She would say 'Poor boy. He looks so skinny and battered.' Having no qualms about talking of Severus Snape for Hermione couldn't bring herself to confess to the parents of her best friend that Severus was responsible for Lily's death.</p><p>She forbid both Samuel and Rosalyn from speaking of her visits to anybody even though a part of her wished they would and Severus would come to see her one of those Sundays.</p><p>000000000000</p><p>Her life though far from perfect was moving smoothly. 3 weeks after that particular assesment another Sunday morning she was preparing to drive to Spinner's End for she couldn't set up floo network in a Muggle residence or apparate heavily pregnant, the morning she wore her favorite powder blue and white summer dress which allowed her the liberty of (even if it was still limited) movement, her water broke. She stood frozen gaping at the liquid slithering down her thighs forming a puddle around her sandal clad foot. She didn't know what to do, she doubted she would be even able to give birth. Her due date seemed the stretch beyond days an impossible unreachable day that shouldn't have and didn't yet arrive. Merlin, she was early, precisely 10 days early, her babies wouldn't be premature but was still meant to have 10 more days. She felt herself hyperventilating, no she wasn't ready yet she had to have Severus with her. This couldn't be happening to her. A choking pitiful sound escaped her lips and not longer after she was sobbing staring at the puddle of liquid reflecting her image back at her.</p><p>'Mia?' She heard Ted say hesitantly. She craned her neck looking at the figure of her brother standing at the door, from the expression of shock painting his handsome face he was yet to register what the pool of water forming around her meant.</p><p>'Ted,' she spoke quietly as if she could delay the birth if she did so 'My water just broke. 'She stated the obvious. The two couldn't do anything but stare at one another. It was the arrival of Andromeda that seemed to bring them out of the their trance.</p><p>'Sweet Salazar! We need to get you to St. Mungos Mia.' She made a move to grasp her arm.</p><p>'No. No, not St. Mungos. ' she pleaded with the older witch.</p><p>'Fine. Not St. Mungos.' Andromeda swiftly took control over the situation firing commands at Ted meanwhile trying in vain to soothe the distressed mother to be. 'Ted get Hermione to the car. I'll get the bag.'</p><p>She took Hermione's slender face in her hands moving into her line of sight. 'Is that alright, dear? We will drive you to the hospital.' Hermione unable to form proper sentences nodded her head 'Yes.'</p><p>Hermione imagined in her lucid state, her vision darkening, the straight path of trees bleeding into a green nothingness what it would be like for her water to break at Evans'. Would Rosalyn alert Severus? Would he drive her to a nearby hospital? Would he floo them to St. Mungos? Would he be able to keep his calm, soothing her like Andromeda? Or would he be like Ted the excitement and shock rendering him speechless? Would he barrel down through white halls of St. Mungos robes billowing behind demanding in his ever commanding voice yet a slight tremor to it only she could pick up on Someone take his pregnant wife. She could almost see it, the lights blinding her, she would press her face into his scracthy wool robes inhaling his muscular scent. She felt safe, protected in his arms. She wanted to give into the white light, to forget about her pregnancy, her babies, her Severus. She was so tired if she could just take a quick nap. Her last conscious thought was,<em> Why there were so many small buzzing voices calling out her name.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione moved to France with Leo and Helene (She and everyone else stopped calling the girl Rosie from the moment she looked into their eyes. The girl proved the decision to be sane giving peeks into and glimpes of deliciously Slytherin tendencies from day one) when they turned 5.</p><p>The first week Ted and Andy brought her back from the hospital Ted stood guard by her bedside like a raptor ready to tackle anything possibly disturbing the new mother down. Hermione took to motherhood fairly quick. At the end of the day she discovered it wasn't Rosalyn's books or Andy's experience with Dora that guided her through early days motherhood. No, it was utterly instinctual the same way Leo latched onto her bare nipple the very second he parted his puffy lids to reveal Severus's eyes. It all came naturally to her from the way she tilted Helene's head up to a certain angle that would be comfortable for both the baby and the mother or how she somehow knew what to do when the newborns would scream the walls down. Her babies kept her throughts grounded never warranting Severus entry into her crumpled mind. She never visited Spinner's End after her traumatizing brush with near death. She associated Severus with the luring images that flashed before her eyes the day she gave birth to her babies. Andromeda after much persuasion would admit they not only lost her but small, weak Leo as well months later when all 3 of them got to a degree over the horrible day they never wanted to call forth in their memories. And that's what Ted and Andy did for the longest time. When she blinked her eyes open to reveal the pale anxious face of Ted he acted as if he didn't nearly lose her. That everything was fine there was no risk of Leo's failed immune system killing the newborn, he and Andy simply didn't spend 7 days which felt like one reoccuring loop, a rewinding nightmare readying themselves first thing in the morning in case news of what could happen to little Leo were delivered. They were as terrible as it sounded acquainted with the everyday fear of death taking their loved ones be it babies and or children. They weren't naïve enough to think death would spare the youngsters. So they pretended danger merely was nonexistent until it indeed passed.</p><p>She thought those 7 enigmatic days she and her Leo were out Severus tried tempting them into his arms away from Helene, Andy, Ted, Dora. When she could eventually fathom how close they were to losing Leo, how her baby continued clinging onto life with a steel grip she couldn't help but be proud of him calling him for months on end 'my little warrior.' Everything her babies did was a source of pride for the fascinated mother. They were warriors and Severus lost his merit the very same day Hermione woke from her week long comatose state. When she did recall Severus her traitorous memory no longer conjured images of a Severus on the floor clutching at his left arm against the branding agony of his Mark, his torn bloodied clothes scattered around the bathroom floor, eyes rimmed red, looking at her and telling her with a voice so clipped and oddly devoid of any tracable emotion Lily was dead. When he muttered adding hastily yet quietly he was the reason Lily died, when she packed her things and left him for good. No it wasn't the day that cemented itself into the depths of her memory nor days filled with his mirthful chuckles resonating against the ivory skin of her neck when he seduced her to remain in bed for hours on end. She only saw Leo's eyes, his cute nose promising to be as prominent and aquiline as his father's, his jet black hair, pale skin flushed red from exertion trying to flip onto his back. She saw her baby boy no longer a happy, bloodied, resting, thoughtful in fact any version of Severus. It was as if her brain finally decided to lock images and memories of Severus in a glass bottle hurtle it into the vast turquoise ocean brushing the horizon to sail away, away from her.</p><p>The first year of being a mother was exceedingly diffucult. She only had one pair of arms and breasts, feeding and pacifying the fussy babies who would start crying at the same time as if they schemed in their sleep to make it that much harder for Mummy to care for them. By the end that first year it was as if a fog had cleared. Dora's last test came negative, she got contracted by Gringotts in Venice offering her the position of Curse breaker, Ted got promoted by The Ministry to a Senior Auror. It seemed as if the road ahead was being mapped out before her eyes. She felt a clawing irrational fear at how perfect everything was going. She 16 months ago could never envision these days, thinking she was doomed to be depressed for eternity when the pain of Severus's betrayal, death of Potter's still raw in her memory. When it felt every passing night would elongate, she would battle consciousness trying and failing not to fall into yet an another dream of Severus wrapping his sinewy arms around her waist, his welcome weight pinning her down unto the mattress when he made love to her for hours.</p><p>She was happy, gathered around the dining table of Tonks's Marlene, Dorcas, Samuel, Rosalyn all present, Dora with her purple pixie hair and glittery pinks shoes Hermione bought her, Leo smearing his face with cake, Helene snuggled in the arms of Marlene and Dorcas who babbled along with the beautiful baby. She smiled a big dazzling smile that left the muscles of her jaw aching, bearing her pearl white teeth which would do her dentist parents proud to view. She was truly happy not a bubbly happiness arousing quickly, no the kind creeping its way into her heart stitching itself onto her psyche the sort that fueled human beings through the unfortunate days guaranteed to follow. The happiness her beautiful babies brought into this world.</p><p>Their 2nd birthday were spent along the same lines with the addition of Harry and Remus Lupin who returned to England a month prior the twins' birthday. Her cousins and Harry ran around the flat wreaking havoc with Dora who was now calling herself Jean. The 7 year old decided she hated her name. She hated Nymphadora, Dora, Dory, Tonks, Miss Tonks. So she went up to her Aunt Hermione after her teacher Mrs. Jonah informed her people could sometimes have second names, middle names she called it. Her mind made up if she didn't have a second name Do-Jean would simply go by Mia apathetic to the confusion she and her Aunt sharing the same name would kindle. It would be confusing yes but Mia was a pretty name unlike Dory. To her great relief her Aunt did have a second name and it was just as pretty as her first. She couldn't spell it yet but she decided since her name was now Jean everyone should appropretly adress her or she would shamelessly resort to temper tantrums.</p><p>Hermione eased herself onto a plush chair next to Remus in hopes of catching up with her friend of 7 told him of Helene's first words and how Leo would strech resembling a yawning kitten in the mornings like any exicted parent completely head over heels with their children would.</p><p>Remus she found had been working in a Muggle bookshop in Budapest for the last 3 years. The pay was far from ideal but he had a roof over his head and food in his stomach. He was forced to return after the sudden death of the Potions Master he acquired his Wolfsbane from. Before Hermione could selflessly offer brewing it for him he told her that the new Potions Master at Hogwarts was already sending him a monthly batch. He wanted to thank him but neither him nor Dumbledore would enclose the identity of this mysterious guy.</p><p>They didn't ponder much on the new Professor keeping his identity from Remus their conversation soon turned to topics like Hogwarts, NEWTs, Charms Journals.</p><p>Almost a month (a month spent with careful planning and weighing her options obsessively) after the twins' birthday Hermione decided to pay Hogwarts a visit. She was going to accept the Curse breaker position in hopes of moving to Venice with her kids. She saw no reason to hesitate from accepting the offered position if the perfect track of her happy days and returning luck were any indication. It was a respectable post allowing for great experience and continuous growth in fields of Charms and Dark Arts, acceptable working hours and a handsome pay to boost. Her kids would also hopefully learn Italian. She penned a formal letter to Headmaster Dumbledore requiring her NEWT results but then decided against sending Enlil (she was exactly the kind of swot to name her owl after The Mesopotamian God of Air) with cynical detached letter. She missed her Professors and the majestic castle that became her home for years, she would get the document with her NEWT and OWL results in person though 'for formalities sake of course Miss we are aware of your infamous title, The Brightest Witch of Her Age' a grubby bald wizard seated in the desk had informed her. This office she visited was in the heart of Knockturn Alley and she was thankful Gringotts in Venice and Diagon Alley were in a much better state.</p><p>Tuesday morning found Hermione adorned in her finest silken robes of maroon red with a form fitting wrap dress that was a finger shorter than her robes. She decided to wear for the first time chique black stilettos, she reasoned if she were going to Italy she would have to learn to dress more fashionably and she wanted to frankly wear something other than her Mum clothes (baggy jumpers, skinny jeans, simple flats etc.) for a change.</p><p>She put Leo in adorable khaki shorts and a dark blue short sleeved henley top, Helene in a denim Lyocell dress gathering her caramel cockscrew curls in a loose bun. She held onto the twins' hands and walked through the grand halls of the centuries old castle sofly smiling at the expression of amazement and awe on her childrens faces. She loosened her hold letting the kids wander as long as they were in her line of sight. Helene stopped her every 3rd step to converse to best of her ability with the portraits gushing at the serious 2 year old. Many of the portraits recognized her asking if these ducklings were hers to which she answered Yes. Her answer seemed to induce an another round of awwing and cooing portraits.</p><p>'Mummy!' she heard Leo's voice calling for her. Situating a protesting Helene wanting to chat with the peculiar talking portraits on her hip she hurried deeper into the castle in search of the boy while berating herself for not paying a closer attention to the free spirited Leo. She found Leo but what she saw froze her blood.</p><p>Severus Snape stood there with an armful of Leo gazing into the miniature face of his own. From the pale complexion to the rather unfortunate nose the little boy seemed like he was out of the picture album Eileen Prince hid under the mattress. A chubbier, better dressed little Severus stood his gaze travelling down his face as if sizing the man who looked oddly like a copy of himself up.</p><p>'Mummy.' Leo shrieked again. 'Who dis?' He asked reaching for the man's nose. The contact between his nose and sticky palms of the 2 year old seemed to have brought Severus to his senses. He put the little boy who much to his chagrin continued staring at him down. Hermione liked to think her inquisitive girl took in the desperate look in her Mummy's eyes, recognized confusion in this strange man's and the little Slytherin she was decided to distract Leo. Though it was likely a case of a child simply craving attention and calling it on herself.</p><p>'Leo.' Helene called. That seemed to have done the trick for now Leo was running towards her yelling 'Sissy!'</p><p>With ebony locks framing his pale face in soft waves and his gentle tempermant Leo was a sweet boy. It seemed Severus's genes contributing entirely to the boy's looks decided to take pity and skip passing his crankiness onto him instead loading the girl with a plenty of moody traits heightened by sleep or being abruptly woken from it. Though Hermione did not prefer acknowledging it the way Helene shot up in her crib if not for her tousled curls and wrinkled clothes completely devoid of any lingering sleep was frighteningly similar to Severus. She knew to give the infant some alone time while her mind recovered from her sudden departure from sleep and adjusted to wakefulness. She knew that because she did the same with Severus. Leo pulled his sister into a bone crushing hug whispering in her ear the question earlier directed at their Mummy.</p><p>Severus understood with perfect clarity the second he saw his ex fiancée rounding the corner in her delectable robes who this boy outright refusing to be intimidated by his infamous glare was. Only a Snape could be immune to that chilling glare. The boy was as Snape as they came on the outside. He was his son, their son… The thought gave him a pause. She was pregnant when she left him. From the familiar ease the boy hugged the girl and what he called her (Sissy Severus assumed meant sister.) she was possibly pregnant with twins. The overwhelming guilt lying dormant resurfaced its ugly head. He not only lost her but his twins too.</p><p>His gaze alternated between the embracing siblings and disoriented Hermione somehow managing to look prettier than ever. His heart gave a lurch.</p><p>'Hermione.' He said his voice was embarrassingly weak her name coming out like a pathetic whimper.</p><p>She looked at him for a couple tense seconds then her plump limps wrapped around a single word. 'No'.</p><p>She hoisted the boy up on her hip, grabbed the quiet girl's, silently observing the pair, hand and left.</p><p>000000000000</p><p>Hermione soon became aware she sadly wasn't yet ready to be parted from her friends and family and 2 months into her new job she came to the definite decision of moving back to London. She would relocate their stuff to her parent's well now her's home in Hampstead. It was a contemporary deco style house with a peristyle courtyard her twins could play in. While she dreaded the horrifying state she would come to find the house in she never actually anticipated it being neat and clean. The house was as she left it. Severus did not touch anything or later rearranged them back to their original state. A brief survey around the building revealed tidied bushes circling her grandmother's with her flair for dramatics ridiculous sculptures around the patio. During her inspection of the house, while noting architectural changes to be made and furniture in need of renewal she felt her heartbeat taking on a frenzied pace thumping wildly against the cage confining it within the closer she came to the master bedroom. The bedroom was located on the 2nd floor with double oak doors permitting entrance. Her heart sank her eyes frantically darting across the room they spent majority of their time in with their limbs tangled, a sheen of salty sweat coating their skin. At first glance the room didn't appear any different. When her eyes eventually fell on the nighstand Severus put together looking grossly out of place like a sore thumb amidst antique luxury furniture she knew why. She knew why she felt like a stranger, an intruder in their rooms. The vertical thin frames containing the pictures were gone. All 5 of them. She named those pictures in her head like a professional artist would her pieces in an exhibition. The names though sorely obvious and quite tasteless.</p><p>In Morning Sun were an oblivious, disheveled Severus in a half buttoned white Oxford and black slacks flipping the cast iron skillet in it the omelette he would lastly garnish with chives, his mug of coffee by the stove and as the name would suggest morning rays filtering through the heavy glass casting bright patches behind Severus's bare feet Hermione found extremely cute. Graduation where two of them stood in their black Hogwarts crested robes in the aftermath of the Graduation party an array of fireworks illuminating the sky, Severus's arm flung posessively around her slender waist a secret smirk resting on his relaxed lips. First Car, Severus kissing her, her back against her first car, front bumper dent and partially scraped black paint visible in the photograph. Library with a Hermione sleeping in their study its walls lined with heavy tomes, the spectecular home library the couple spent their every spare moment in, her petite form across the leather wingback, naked sunkissed legs hanging off its arms, chaotic messy hair falling across her face and 15th edition of Hogwarts a History covering span of her chest. And lastly Summer in which a painfully sunburnt Severus hugging Hermione in her string mulberry bikini from behind in one of many estates Hermione inherited thanks in part to her comically wealthy grandparents and the modest lifestyle lead by her parents. The private villa in Malta they spent their months standing in all its glory behind the couple.</p><p>Hermione realized with the absence of the frames that she was secretly hoping to find the house a mess, traces of them laying across the grounds, memories dusting the shelves, pictures of them placed on every spare spot.</p><p>The hectic week was spent making a home out of the place. A home for herself and the kids. The kids never complaining to spend more time over at Tonks'. And Dora no longer Jean Thank Merlin was happiest of the bunch to hear the news of their impending move. She magically resized the rooms, bought new furniture, casted protective spells around sharp ends of those furnitures, keyed the wards blanketing over the property to recognize the magical signature of her friends and though she knew it was unlikely he come she keyed him out. Exhausted physically, mentally and magically beyond measure she settled into the guest room and let sleep absorb her worries knowing tomorrow would mark the beginning of their new life in Hampstead.</p><p>000000000000</p><p>A year prior to taking the Charms and Spells Mistress of Beauxbatons post, on the evening of Harry's 6th birthday Remus kissed her. It was more a quick peck on the lips but she froze at her place realizing it was the first time a man had kissed her in the last several years. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Remus mortified at the literal expression of shame and shock written on her face stumbled over his words, formulating to the shaken woman that he was sorry and didn't mean to embarrass her. The explanation, him having to explain himself served to only worsen her humiliation and discomfort. It dawned on her while she tried looking anywhere but Remus, intentionally avoiding the gaze of the tall man standing before her, she 4 years later was acting still like a grieving old ninny with no sex drive whatsoever. However she had a libido albeit deplorable. She still would palm her breats through lace rugiada embroided chemise running her soft hands imagining it was the calloused fingers of his along the curves and planes of her body. She still wore alluring underwear despite the knowledge nobody would or could take notice of them. She kept her pussy bare though her bush didn't make much difference for her.</p><p>The epiphany, how her body was still awaiting and craving regular sex with Severus from the subconscious ways of dressing in emerald skimpy knickers to taking the Contraception Potion every 3 months urged her to put a stop to her celibacy.</p><p>Dorcas announced she, Hermione and Marlene were to go out the following weekend.</p><p>'It will be just like the old times!' She she said jauntily, prompted on her elbows half sprawled across Hermione's bedcovers while Marlene riffled through Hermione's closet tsking dissaprovingly. Having decided on a mini champagne dresses for the night the girls Apparated to a Wizarding Club.</p><p>'This one is checking you out.' Marlene inclined her head whispering to a blind drunk Hermione pointing at a formidable man staring hungrily at Hermione's astounding clevage. The couple nugded Hermione forward into the arms of the wizard.</p><p>He was the complete opposite of Severus, a shiny mane of golden hair, grey eyes with flickering orbs of lightest blue he was of average height while Severus with his impressive 6 ft 3 build towered over her 5 ft 7 frame. So when he offered to take her to his flat she accepted without a second thought.</p><p>While the grunting bulky wizard pounded into her she ran her hand across his unblemished broud back to reassure herself having found no ropy belt scars that he wasn't Severus. She grasped his biceps so unlike his wiry strong arms, made sure to keep her eyes open treading her long elegant fingers through his blonde locks. When he screamed his completion his small cock twitching coating her walls with his seed she reminded herself this wasn't Severus that he never screamed when he came. He never squealed or panted he muffled his moans into her neck, his breath hot he whispered all the dirty little things he did and would do to her his silky voice turning her into a puddle of flesh. That she always came before him, his half erect cock leaving a trail of their mixed fluids behind. And when the blond wizard rolled off her in the awkward silence of the aftermath coldly thanking her as if a business transaction had just occurred Hermione told herself her head tilted to left hiding treacherous tears trickling down her powdered cheeks Severus always pulled her into his arms and she always fell into an easy sleep with his slender body pressed against her back, matching her breathing to his soft snores.</p>
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